Was Marc-Andre Fleury Better In Vegas Or Pittsburgh?

One caveat is the former Vezina winner spent 13 seasons in the Steel City compared to four in Sin City. That could explain how his numbers are slightly worse in Pittsburgh than in Vegas. These numbers also account for his limited time as a rookie: Fleury did start his NHL career at the age of 19, after all.

Another catch to this argument is Marc-Andre Fleury played in the Western Conference as opposed to the Eastern Conference. Instead of facing stiff competition from Washington, Boston, or the New York Rangers, Fleury faced off against Anaheim, Vancouver, and Arizona. It’s not to say that the Western Conference stunk: you did have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl there. However, the Western Conference has almost always been the weaker conference in hockey, and this is no exception.

Finally, he only started more than 60 games once in his Golden Knights tenure. Compare that to seven seasons of 60+ starts during his time in Pittsburgh. In fact, his 2021 season was a shortened season, coming from the aftereffects of COVID-19. The former All-Star had more tread as a Penguin compared to his Vegas glory days. That 2021 season was responsible for skewing the stats lower for his time in Vegas.

Still, the statistics and accolades say that Marc-Andre Fleury came into his own as a Golden Knight. If you’re going based on normal seasons and pace, he was better in Pittsburgh. But his historical stats say otherwise.

Surprisingly, a potential Hall of Fame candidate has never won a Vezina or made an All-Star appearance as a Penguin. But don’t be surprised if he gets inducted with remarkable achievements for both teams. After all, few men can do what he’s done in the NHL.

(Stats provided by Hockey Reference)